My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 279 Li Chengqian: In the end, everything is mine (Happy New Year)
This is the sea area near Dengzhou. The sun shines on the sea, making the waves sparkle.

Li Chengqian's fleet sailed steadily along the coast of the Tang Dynasty, and the sails rustled in the sea breeze.

Last year, in order to give the crown prince some convenience, Li Shimin appointed Zhao Jie as the governor of Dengzhou and appointed King of Han Li Yuanchang as the governor of Dengzhou. As a result, this sea area became more deeply connected with them.

A small boat was sailing quickly towards Li Chengqian's flagship. On the boat, King of Han Li Yuanchang and Zhao Jie stood side by side. The sea breeze blew their clothes wantonly, and their faces were filled with a mixture of tension and anticipation.

Han Wang Li Yuanchang held the side of the boat tightly, his knuckles slightly white from exerting force, his eyes flashing with excitement, and he thought to himself:

"I finally get to see His Royal Highness the Crown Prince again. Although we've exchanged letters from time to time over the past year, I always feel like something is missing. I don't know if his journey has been smooth or not. He summoned us urgently this time, so I guess something big must have happened."

The scenes of her past interactions with Li Chengqian kept flashing through her mind. Thinking of the unknown situation she was about to face, excitement and anxiety kept surging in her heart.

Zhao Jie frowned slightly, his eyes fixed on the approaching flagship, feeling mixed emotions: "This meeting is related to our future, I just hope everything goes well."

In fact, Zhao Jie had already guessed in his mind that Li Chengqian's action was by no means ordinary.

Over the past year, they have been secretly making arrangements in Luoyang and contacting various forces. All these signs make him feel that Li Chengqian may be planning a shocking event, and may even be planning to occupy Luoyang and never return to Chang'an.

But this idea is too bold, so I dare not say it out loud easily, and can only think about it silently in my heart.

"Your Highness has always been calm and steady. If he really has such a plan, he must have thought it through carefully. However, once this step is taken, it will completely break with Chang'an, and the risks involved are difficult to estimate."

"But no matter what, since I have chosen to follow Your Highness, I will follow you through life and death without hesitation."

The boat finally docked steadily next to the flagship. Under the glaring sunlight, the two men carefully climbed onto the deck along the ropes.

As soon as they stepped onto the deck, the strong sunlight made them squint slightly. At the same time, guards quickly came to meet them.

The guards were dressed in fine armor, which gleamed with a cold metallic luster under the sunlight, and the spears in their hands stood straight, demonstrating the majesty of the royal fleet.

"You two, please come with me."

The leading guard spoke in a calm but polite tone, turned around and led them forward.

Li Yuanchang and Zhao Jie followed behind the guards, and couldn't help but look around.

On the deck, the sailors were busy and orderly under the scorching sun. Some were adjusting the sails with great effort, their backs soaked with sweat; some were checking the ropes carefully, with focused expressions as if everything around them had nothing to do with them.

Everyone was focused on their own tasks and didn't seem to care about their arrival.

However, Zhao Jie keenly noticed that behind these seemingly ordinary actions, there was a tense atmosphere, as if the entire fleet was making final preparations for the coming storm.

They walked along the sun-filled passage. The shields and weapons hung on the walls on both sides of the passage reflected the sunlight, making people's eyes hurt.

The air was filled with the salty smell of sea water and the smell of wood burning under the scorching sun. The mixture made it feel a little breathless.

Finally, they arrived at the door of Li Chengqian's cabin.

The guard raised his hand and knocked gently on the door. After receiving a response, he slowly pushed open the cabin door.

Inside the cabin, Li Chengqian was sitting at the tea table, waiting for them.

Li Yuanchang and Zhao Jie quickly bowed and saluted: "Greetings, Your Highness."

"No need to be polite, please take a seat."

Li Chengqian's voice was steady and powerful, with an unquestionable majesty.

"Thank you, Your Highness." The two responded.

It had been such a long time since they last saw each other that even Li Yuanchang, who had grown up with Li Chengqian, felt a little restrained when he saw the prince again.

Li Chengqian himself didn't feel anything, but for others, especially those who hadn't seen him for a long time, the feeling was earth-shaking.

He used to be a prince, but he was just a noble person.

However, during this eastern expedition, Li Chengqian personally led the army to conquer Goryeo, then Silla and Baekje, and unified Liaodong.

This kind of momentum developed through the baptism of battlefield, especially when invincible, is very strong.

At this moment, Li Yuanchang looked at the prince, as if he saw Li Shimin, who had once made great military achievements.

Not to mention that as the eldest son, Li Chengqian looks somewhat similar to Li Shimin, which makes Li Yuanchang feel a little dazed.

Li Chengqian greeted them with a smile, trying to lighten the atmosphere: "Yuanchang, Zhaojie, come and sit down. You have worked hard outside for more than a year."

His voice was gentle and contained a hint of concern, as if they had returned to the days when they discussed important matters together.

Zhao Jie stepped forward, bowed, and said, "It is an honor for us to serve Your Highness."

His eyes lingered on Li Chengqian's face for a moment. Seeing that His Highness was still calm and confident, he felt much more at ease. At the same time, he was thinking, "Your Highness is so calm and composed. It seems that he has already made up his mind. I just don't know how we should deal with the situation in Luoyang."

Li Chengqian did not talk about Luoyang at the beginning, but asked about the two people's recent situation.

Li Yuanchang felt a little ashamed and said, "I'm sorry, Your Highness. Although I was appointed as the governor of Dengzhou, the money from the coal factory has now been deposited into Your Majesty's treasury."

Li Chengqian naturally knew about this matter a long time ago.

This was actually an exchange of interests. Li Shimin felt a little embarrassed towards the prince about this matter.

In a sense, the enthronement of Zhao Jie and Li Yuanchang was also a compensation for the loss of the coal factory's profits.

Li Chengqian didn't care much about it. It was obvious that he had no intention of spitting it out.

Not only the coal plant, but also other industries of the Eastern Palace will probably be taken away by Li Shimin. And those advanced facilities, such as the hydraulic forging hammer, will probably fall into Li Shimin's inner treasury.

Li Chengqian didn't care about these.

As long as he remains the crown prince and wins the final victory, these things will eventually be his.

He comforted her, "You are not to blame for this. We all know what our father did."

"The profits from coal factories are so huge, who wouldn't be tempted?"

It was already comparable to the annual income of the Tang Dynasty. Before, Li Chengqian was in Chang'an, so it was difficult for Li Shimin to snatch the prince's business.

But since the crown prince had gone on an expedition to the east, it was only natural that the money should be transferred to the inner treasury. Li Yuanchang and Zhao Jie dared not disobey the order.

Li Chengqian leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers on the armrests. He looked calm and said slowly, "Yuanchang, Zhaojie, don't worry about money. When I was in Liaodong, I opened the Liaodong Tongzhi Bank and issued paper money. Now we have sufficient financial resources to support our subsequent affairs."

His words showed confidence and his eyes revealed his control over the situation.

Li Yuanchang and Zhao Jie were surprised when they heard this. They looked at each other, and Li Yuanchang bowed and said, "Your Highness is truly a man of great talent and strategy. We admire you for having such means. With such strong financial resources as a foundation, we will be able to do things more smoothly in Luoyang."

Li Chengqian nodded slightly, and then changed the subject: "Okay, let's put the money aside for now. Right now, I am more concerned about the situation in Luoyang, so I will tell you in detail."

Zhao Jie sat upright, looking respectful, and said, "Your Highness, the current governor of Luozhou is no longer Tang Jian. Tang Jian was demoted to Guanglu Dafu for violating the law. The current governor of Luozhou is Pei Huaijie."

Li Chengqian frowned slightly, with a flash of doubt in his eyes, and asked: "Tang Jian is a founding hero and has always been steady. How could he have violated the law and ended up like this?"

Li Yuanchang leaned forward, speaking with some emotion: "Your Highness, you may not know that Tang Jian's crime this time was his own fault. He was the Minister of Revenue, but he neglected his duties while in office, and was perfunctory in government affairs. After leaving office, he indulged in drinking and merrymaking with his relatives and guests, and was suspected of squandering public funds."

Zhao Jie nodded in agreement and added, "Not only that, in order to seek personal gain, he even asked other governors to sell his privately raised sheep for him at a high price. Such behavior is really unbecoming of an official of the court. It is reasonable for him to be impeached by the censor."

"Your Majesty, mindful of our old friendship, has granted him a pardon and only demoted him to the rank of Grand Master of Imperial Households."

Li Chengqian asked, "What is the situation with Pei Huaijie, the newly appointed governor of Luozhou?"

Zhao Jie said: "Pei Huaijie is a very cautious person and has always been tepid in the officialdom."

"When he was in office previously, his achievements were not remarkable, but he also made no obvious mistakes. He handled affairs in a law-abiding manner and did not come into conflict with any faction."

Li Chengqian nodded slightly, tapping the table with his fingers, thinking: "With such a personality, there is something to be won over. But what is the foundation of the Pei family behind Pei Huaijie in Luoyang? How can we win their support?"

As everyone was lost in thought, Wen Zhong, the prince's eunuch who had been standing beside them, stepped forward respectfully, cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness, I have something to say. Do you think I should say it?"

Li Chengqian raised his eyes, looked at Wen Zhong, and said, "You can talk as you please."

Wen Zhong said respectfully, "Pei Xingjian and Pei Huaijie are from the same Hedong Pei clan."

"Pei Xingjian has repeatedly performed remarkable feats beside His Highness, and is deeply favored and valued by His Highness."

"Perhaps we can use this kinship and Pei Xingjian's position by your side to win the support of the Hedong Pei family."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the cabin focused their attention on Wen Zhong.

Li Chengqian narrowed his eyes slightly, as if thinking about something.

Li Yuanchang's eyes flashed with surprise, and he quickly bowed and said, "Eunuch Wen is right!"

"Pei Xingjian has shown his talents under your Highness. He must have a certain prestige in the Pei family."

"If we can use him as a matchmaker to establish a closer relationship with Pei Huaijie and then win the support of the Pei family, this will be a promising project."

Zhao Jie also nodded in agreement: "Yes, although the Pei family can barely be considered a powerful family now, and is not as prominent as the Five Surnames and Seven Families, they also have certain power and connections in Luoyang. If we can win them over, it will undoubtedly be a great help to Your Highness's layout in Luoyang."

Li Chengqian nodded slightly and said, "Yuanchang, you should immediately arrange for Pei Xingjian and Pei Huaijie to meet privately. Under the pretext of reminiscing about the friendship between the same clans, you can find out Pei Huaijie's intentions and understand the intentions of the Pei family."

"Remember, you must be cautious in everything you do and not act too hastily, so as not to arouse the resentment and vigilance of the Pei family."

"Yes, Your Highness," Li Yuanchang responded.

Afterwards, the topic turned to the power of the aristocratic families in Luoyang.

Li Yuanchang continued, "Your Highness, there are many aristocratic families in Luoyang City, and their power is intertwined."

"The Lifang area in the north of Dingdingmen Street is where high-ranking civil and military officials and some aristocratic families live."

"For example, the Changsun family, because of Empress Changsun, has a high status in the court, and many of their family members serve in Luoyang."

"In order to facilitate their participation in court affairs and exchanges with the royal family, they purchased a residence in this area."

"On a daily basis, the descendants of the Changsun family frequently go in and out of the imperial palace, have close contacts with various forces, and have a certain say in the officialdom of Luoyang. They have an influence on the political direction of Luoyang that cannot be ignored."

Zhao Jie added: "The Luobei Lifang area, especially the area north of the Caoqu Canal, is where the founding heroes and some aristocratic families gathered."

"Bo Ling Cui Clan and Qinghe Cui Clan built residences in Dao Zheng Fang and other places, and most of their family members served as officials. These Cui Clan members relied on their family's reputation and connections to have a smooth career."

"They have extensive connections in Luoyang City and are connected to various forces. Whether it is government affairs or local affairs, they can play an important role."

Li Chengqian frowned slightly, looking solemn, and asked, "What about the Lifang area centered on Luoyang South City? What's the situation there?"

Li Yuanchang quickly responded: "Your Highness, Luoyang South City is a commercial center with a prosperous economy."

“Some business-oriented families live here.”

"Relying on the family's roots and connections in Luoyang, we purchased properties near Nanshi and operated shops."

"They frequently interacted with merchants from all over the country and accumulated a lot of wealth. They also used the money they earned to establish connections with other noble families and local forces."

Zhao Jie went on to say: "The Wang family of Taiyuan also had a certain sphere of influence in Luoyang, with properties and residences in the north of Dingdingmen Street and around the South Market. The descendants of the Wang family of Taiyuan often held poetry and prose gatherings, attracting many literati and scholars, and interacting with officials in the court."

"The Hongnong Yang family has been extremely prominent since the Eastern Han Dynasty. Family members have served in the court and in local areas, and they also have a mansion in the Luobei Lifang District."

Li Chengqian leaned back in his chair, lost in thought.

After a long while, he slowly said: "These aristocratic families are complicated and intricate. If you want to control Luoyang, you must be cautious."

Even if it was Li Chengqian, it would be impossible for him to directly become an enemy of the aristocratic families of the Tang Dynasty.

The aristocratic families have deep roots in the Tang Dynasty, and their influence permeates all areas such as the court, economy, and culture. In the court, many children of aristocratic families hold important positions, and they collude with each other to form a huge political network.

In the Tang Dynasty, the first targets to be hit were the Five Surnames and Seven Clans. After all, they were members of the Wei Wang Party, so this would not have much impact.

The second is to improve the imperial examination, abolish the investment banking papers, and cover the names on the examination papers.

Only in this way can we truly select talents from humble backgrounds and break the monopoly of aristocratic families.

(End of this chapter)